WASHINGTON -- The next governor of Alabama will inherit a tense but dependent relationship with the federal government, which has propped up state budgets in the poor economy and at the same time drawn criticism as a meddlesome and wasteful behemoth.

Alabama's two candidates, in extensive interviews with The Birmingham News, described distinct approaches to dealing with Washington. Republican Robert Bentley's view of Washington is more antagonistic, while Democrat Ron Sparks sees the federal government in a more benevolent light.

Bentley, a state legislator, and Sparks, the state agriculture commissioner, already have jobs that include some interaction with the federal bureaucracy. But assuming the role of Alabama's chief executive officer requires a broader and more detailed understanding of the myriad issues that link Montgomery and Washington and affect the lives of every Alabamian, issues such as health care, water resources and roads.

10th Amendment and health insurance

Bentley's anti-Washington rhetoric has a long history in Alabama gubernatorial politics, from George Wallace to Fob James.

In a familiar refrain, Bentley said the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution has "not been enforced" and the federal government is encroaching on Alabama's sovereignty. Asked for examples, Bentley, a Tuscaloosa dermatologist, said, "It's been a very subtle encroachment going on for a long time."

He argues that the new federal health care law, which is years away from being fully implemented, is an encroachment on the rights of individuals and businesses to make decisions about their health insurance.

"The federal government will continue to encroach on state sovereignty as long as they can," Bentley said. "For example, why on earth has the federal government not allowed insurance to be sold across state lines?"

Although the provisions are not as broad as congressional Republicans initially proposed, the new health care law will allow some cross-state sales while still protecting consumers in states with tighter regulation of the industry than others, according to Linda Blumberg, a health policy analyst with the nonpartisan Urban Institute.

Even before the health care bill became law, Bentley was advocating ways for Alabama to legally reject the laws' mandates, and he believes it will be declared unconstitutional. Sparks embraces the health care law and said he will consult with the medical and business community about how to implement its provisions.

"I am for reasonable access to affordable health care, and people can stand and scream and yell and do whatever, but I will put the rubber where it meets the road .¤.¤. because if we don't, the federal government will run it and I want Alabamians running it," Sparks said.

Gov. Bob Riley rejected a chance to run a temporary high-risk pool for uninsured residents with pre-existing medical conditions. So the federal government, using $69.1 million, will run it for Alabamians until 2014, when the law says health insurance companies can no longer deny coverage because of pre-existing conditions. Sparks applauds requiring coverage of people with pre-existing conditions.

"Let's have some compassion in this country, because this knee-jerk reaction and negativity and not being compassionate is not the answer," he said.

Sparks carefully threads the needle of the 10th Amendment argument, saying he would resist unfunded federal mandates or anything that infringes on the rights of Alabamians, but the federal government's largesse should be welcomed, especially on issues such as food safety, farm subsidies, military bases, Medicaid, education and highways.

"Can you imagine someone crazy enough to say we don't want all those programs? That's basically what they talk about with the 10th Amendment," Sparks said.

Medicaid is the single most-expensive program in the state, costing more than $5 billion a year and providing health care to nearly 1 million low-income families, children and disabled people.

The federal government, which normally pays for about two-thirds of the Medicaid program to Alabama's one-third, upped its share to more than three-fourths during the recession. The extra support will expire and likely blow a big hole in the budget, just in time for the next governor to take office. Because the state's Medicaid program covers only those services that it has to in order to qualify for federal funding, there aren't many optional services to cut.

Sparks, like on many other pieces of his platform, would rely on regulating and taxing gambling as a way to raise money to fill the hole. Asked if the money would be enough to also expand services, Sparks did not rule it out.

"But the problem today is, do we have enough to provide services we have now?" Sparks said.

Bentley agreed the Medicaid program couldn't be cut.

"We can look at the way that money is distributed in the state, we can look at providers, look at hospitals, nursing homes, drug programs. We can look at all that and rearrange some, but we have to fund it adequately because of the situation with all the hospitals. They have to say afloat," Bentley said.

Bentley said he voted against Riley's budget this year because it relied on $197 million in emergency Medicaid funds from Washington that had not been approved by Congress. When Congress did vote, the federal aid came up short, forcing Riley to withdraw money from the state's rainy day fund.

Bentley said he would prefer a funding formula that took into account the number of the state's indigent patients when determining how much money the state gets from Washington.

The formula now is based on a three-year average of personal income compared to the national average. That's a low number for Alabama, which is why the formula is more generous with Alabama than many other states.

The new health care law also expands the number of people who will be eligible for Medicaid, with the federal government picking up the costs for the first few years.

Transportation

Sparks and Bentley have ambitious plans for building new roads around the state, both as an economic stimulus for construction jobs and a backbone for future economic development in those areas.

Bentley wants new four-lane roads running north to south through eastern and western Alabama. If the federal government won't help pay for them, Bentley said he would consider making them toll roads.

"I don't want to do things from a political standpoint, but on a needs basis," Bentley said. He also voiced support for the Northern Beltline highway project north of Birmingham and anything to relieve congestion on U.S. 280 to the south.

Bentley also clarified comments he made recently in Birmingham that the city is not ready for mass transit.

"I'm not saying we don't need public transportation, because we do," Bentley said, but he would not support light rail for the metro area.

"If light rail brought people into the city, well there is nobody in the city downtown, there's not a lot going on down there, and it's not necessarily right now the wisest use of our dollars," Bentley said.

Asked about Sen. Richard Shelby's multi-year attempt to set aside federal matching money to help pay for transit programs in the region, including high-occupancy vehicle lanes or bus rapid transit, Bentley said he would support those.

Sparks also has visions for new north-south roadways, using federal highway funds plus state matching money, much of it borrowed through bonds.

"Infrastructure is not an expense; it's an investment," Sparks said.

Sparks said he is open to transit options for the Birmingham metro area, but he couldn't say exactly what kind.

"We ought to study it and make sure that is feasible and something that would benefit and eliminate congestion," Sparks said. "I am not taking anything off the table.

"I don't consider myself an expert in every field, but I am expert in listening, and we need to figure out what's good for Birmingham, which may not be good for Huntsville. We have to work with local communities and make sure whatever we do we get the best bang for the buck."

Water wars

Alabama is deadlocked in a three-decade struggle with Florida and Georgia over the two river basins they share and, after recent court rulings, the ball is back in the governors' courts to try to settle the dispute amongst themselves. Despite having three governors from the same party for the past several years, they have not been able to reach a deal, likely pushing the issue into the next administration.

Bentley and Sparks pledged unqualified support for Alabama's argument that Georgia should not be withdrawing so much water upstream, but both were short on details. Sparks as agriculture commissioner said he has raised alarms about Florida's attempts to control flow from Alabama.

Bentley said he wants a statewide water policy that bans the transfer of water from one basin to another without replacing it, in order to demand the same from Georgia.

Lobbying

Both candidates said they would be the state's federal lobbyist, working personally with the congressional delegation.

"I am not going to disrespect the folks in Washington and send somebody who works for me up there," Sparks said.

However, for a few years during his term as state agriculture commissioner, Sparks' office paid a Washington lobbyist, in part because Sparks didn't have access to a state plane to get back and forth to Washington easily. The lobbying contract at one time cost the state $80,000 a year.

"There were a lot of issues in the farm bill and I needed somebody on the ground to guide me through and make sure the state of Alabama was being taken care of," Sparks said. "But once the legislation got close to passing or worked out, we backed off and started doing it ourselves."

Bentley said he would prevent state agencies from hiring their own federal lobbyists because he doesn't believe that one taxpayer-funded entity should need a lobbyist to communicate with another taxpayer-funded entity. He said he would encourage cities, counties and public colleges to do without, as well.

"I will have a good relationship with the delegation, even though most of them came out for my opponent, but that doesn't matter," Bentley said. Several of the Republicans in Alabama's delegation endorsed Bradley Byrne in the GOP primary for governor.

Federal tax dollars

For every tax dollar Alabama sends to Washington it gets back about $1.66. That amount is the sixth-highest in the country, a function of the state's low personal incomes and high poverty rate. The money goes for roads, schools, health care, environmental protection, military, law enforcement, scientific research and many other things.

Bentley and Sparks have very different assessments of that relationship.

Bentley is skeptical of it, fearing too much of the federal money has strings attached that the people of Alabama don't want. He said he will reject any federal money that requires Alabama to change its law in a way he doesn't agree with.

"I just don't think that they have to tell the state to change its laws in order to get money that's already theirs," Bentley said.

Asked for an example, Bentley cited unemployment insurance. Congress recently offered the states millions of dollars to expand their unemployment programs during the recession and offered to foot the bill for the expansion. Riley rejected it, and Bentley agreed, saying it would hurt small businesses.

Bentley acknowledged, however, that sometimes the tradeoff is valuable, such as requirements that affect health and safety, such as speed limits or drunken driving penalties.

"You're right, we do pick and choose what rules and regulations we feel should be imposed, and some are good. I have no problem with some of them," Bentley said. Sparks said that, as agriculture commissioner, he saw the value in several federal programs, including food safety.

"I understand some of the partnerships we have to have," Sparks said. "I personally think it's ridiculous for a governor to run against programs like that."

Sparks said the only thing about the spending relationship he would change would be to work to get $1.76 back for every dollar, instead of $1.66.

"I'm not going to let Washington cram anything down our throats, but criticizing Washington right now is not a very smart thing to do," Sparks said.